Folding machine



ms. LATIMER. v

FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 191:.

4 SHEET$SHEET 1.

Inven r fla Kite rrz ey R. s. LAHM'ER.

FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1911.

1,416,099, I Patented May 16, 1922.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f 4 z I I I 1/ :3 4 7 r 8 .11 m 41 5- 3 I r7 23 I v Ir E- I k 24 l 1 "1 I: 7 L 4 l '0- it v 0 0 o O 4 a I w 3 41/ I #3 i I I i z Inve t? .R. S. LATIMER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1911.

Patented May 16,1922;

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' V Jltarn y R. s. LIATIMER.

FOLDING MACHINE.-

APPLICATION FILED APB. 1-2, 19]?- Patented May 16, 1922.

Int 81 ROY s. LATI'MER, or TROY, New YORK,

assreuonro THOMAS H. tern inn, or

SARAEOGA SPRING-S, NEW YORK.

ronnrue MACHINE.

' Application filed April 12,

To cZl-whomit mwy conce'rn:

Be it known that I, ROY S. 'LAITIMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy, county of 'Rensselaer, andState of New York, haveiinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Folding-hflachines,

of which the following is a specification.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon. which form a partof this specification. Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several.figuresrtherein.

This invention relates to the heating of 'parts of'various machines adapted for the operation of said heated parts uponsuccessive articles.

The invention is particularly adapted for the heating of saidparts or membersof machines for foldingthe edges of fabric blanks in themanufacture of collars, cuffs, and the like. a i i In machines of this class it is found-necessary to heat one or more of the parts or members which come into contact with the fabric blanks in order topress or iron a fixed fold in the edge of the finished blank. The successiveblanks take up more or less of the heat during the folding and pressing operations.

As heretofore practiced ithas been deemed necessary to maintain constantly during the period of operation of the machine a sufficiently high temperature in theheated memher. or members to insure against a material reduction in temperature of such part or parts by the loss of heat taken from the niachine by the successive articles at the'maximum speed'of the machine which is usually dependent upon the capacity of the open atorf 1 i lVith such methods of heating as have heretofore been employed, failure for any cause "to continue the operation of the machine at such maximum speed results inin creased temperature of the. heated part or parts, suclras to burn or scorch the articles. It is thus necessary when the operation of the machine is interrupted for any cause for the operator to cut off or diminish-the supply of heat, and when the operator fails to do this, as is often the case, the machine becomes so overheated as to scorch and injure the wort.

The principal object of the present invention isto impart to the heated part or parts,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1922.

1917. se1-ia1no.-1ei,5es.

of the machine heat-units in substantially the ratio in which heat-units are taken from said part or parts in the operation of the machine upon successive articles, wherebv the loss of heat-units caused by the operation upon successive articles is at once compensated forby impartingto the heated part orpartsofthe machine a substantially like value of heat-units; and the invention consistsin the hereinafter described method and apparatus for accomplishing such object, and other objects which will appear in connection with the following description.

Fig. l ofthe drawings is a top plan view of a folding-machine made in accordance with my invention.

ig. 2 isadiagram of the wiring for the electric heating of the "machine.

F 1g. 31s a view 1n end elevation partly in vertical section of the machine with the template for the bed-plate shown in Figs. 6

and7.

Fig. 9 is a side'edge view of the same.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, 1 is the frame'of a folding-machine, having a bed, 2, upon which the blanks are placed to be folded; a templet, 3, cooperative with said bed to hold-a blank thereagainst, over the edge of Which templet the edge-portions of the blank are infolded by means of infolders, 4t.

i The templet is mounted upon anarm, 6,

fixed u 3011 a shaft 7 rotativelv mounted in' hearings in a bracket, 8, fixed upon the frame of the machine whereby the templet canbe swung toward and from'the bed, 1.

Rocking movemeiits are imparted to the shaft, 7, for this purpose by means of a rocker-arm, 9, fixed upon said shaft, 7, proyiectinp; into the path of one end, 10, of a lever fulcrumed at 11, upon the frame of the machine, the other end, 12, 01' which le er pro cts into the path. oi? a cam, 13, z A

lined upon a piston-rod, 1ft, having upon 'ts lower end a piston, 15, reciprocatory within an air-cylinder, 16.

The folding of each blank is accomplished by a complete reciprocating movement of the piston, 15.

Compressed air may be admitted to the air-cylinder, 16, in any known manner for operating the piston, 15.

Mutable connections may also be provided between the piston-rod, l l, and the intolders, .2;, and bed, 2, for moving the ini'olders in"ard and outward ever the bed, and for "to sing the bed upward to press the tolded edges or the blank between. the bed and the intolders; but as these features lorm no part of my invention and will. be readily understood by those skilled in the art, further description of the same is unnecessar in carrying out my invention in preferred term, i provide the bed, 2, with an elongated spiral groove, 17, on its under side adapted to receive an electric resistance element or coil, 20, necured in said groove by means of a cover-plate, 18, attached to the underside oi? said bed, 2.

The cover-plate, 18, is provided with .oertures, 19, at various points for the pas sage therethrough of wires, 25, adapted to be connected with different points of the resistance coil, 20, as willbe hereinafter explained and enlargements, 21, are formed in the groove, 17, in the bed, opposite the respective apertures, 19, in the cover-plate which enlargements permit said wires to be joined to the resistance coil.

A. switch-plate, 22, is mounted upon the frame of the machine by means of a split bearing, 23, embracing a circular boss, 2%, on the bracket, 8.

lhis sw1tcl1plate has mounted thereupon a series of contacts, 26, insulated from each other, connected respectively with the wires, 25, which are joined to the resistance coil, 20, at different points in the coil.

One end 20, of the coil, is connected by a wire, 27, cuit, the other side of said circuit being connected by a wire, 28, with. the other end 20", of said coil.

A branch wire, 29, leads from the wire, 28, to a contact-brush, 30, which bears upon the hub, 31, or an arm 32, lined upon the 'templet-carrying shaft I mi which it is insula ted.

it. contact-linger, 323, is adapted to make sliding engagement with the successive contacts, 26, on the switch-plate, 22, as the templet is raised and lowered by rocking movement of the shaft, 7, said contact-finger being carried by said arm,

ihe svritch-contacts, 26, are connected by with one side of an electric cir-- the wires, 27 with points in the coil, 20, at successively greater distances from its end, 20 in the order in which said contacts, 26, are successively engaged by the contactfinger, 33, as the templet is moved. from its raised position down upon the bed.

The wires, 27 and 28, being connected with a source oi electrical energy, not shown, the current will pass through the coil, 20, serving to heat the coil, but the degree to which the coil will be thus heated limited by the resistance offered by the entire coil.

By employing a coil oi proper length or resistance, it is possible, so long as the current enters and leaves only at the ends of the coil, to limit the temperature of the bed, 2, to a maximum degree which is less than that at which the blanks would be scorched, and in the operation of the machine the supply of heat thus contributed is substantially consta. .t and uniform.

In the operation of the machine every time the templet descends from the bed, the arm, 32, is operated causing its contact-finger, 32 to move along the series of contacts,

As the contact-linger, 33, engages each successive contact, 26, in such movement, it causes the electric current to pass tln'ough successively shorter lengths of the coil, 2'3, which shorter lengths, oli'ering less resist ance, become more highly heated.

As the machine operates on successive blanks, an intermittent supply of heat is developed in certain portions of the coil in addition to the heat developed by the constant and uniform supply due to the passage of the current through the whole coil, and in the operation of the machine it is intended that the heat thus supplied through the medium of the contac'btinger shall be substantially the same as the heat taken from the machine by the successive blanks.

Hart-units are thus imparted intermittently to the bed, 2, in substantially the ratio in which heatunits are taken from said bed in the operation of the machine upon successive articles.

The maximum degree of heat obtained therefore only as the machine is; operated, and it for any reason the operation is discontinued or the speed of operation is lessened this auxiliary supply oi heat will be either cut oil: entirely or intermittently in1 parted with less frequency in accordance with the speed. oi operation of the machine.

Thus if the machine be left idle tor a time with the templet, 3, raised as shown in Fi the switch contact finger, 33, may be left in contact with the righthand end contact, 26, which is shown in Fig. 2, connected with one end of the coil at 20", the other end of the coil being connected at 20, with the l l (l opposite side of the circuit. The current thus transmitted through the coil is opposed by the whole resistance of the coil, and causes the bed to be heated to a limited degreeonly,

and less than the temperature required in the operation of the machine. As soon as the operation of the machine is resumed, however, each" time the die descends the switch Contact finger will be brought into contact; with another or others o'f-the contacts, 26, which are connected with intermediate points-in the coil thus causing the current to pass through a less extent of the coil which extent will be more highly heated to impart the inaximumheat tothe bed.

The switch-plate, 22, is rotative'ly adjustable upon the templetcarrying shaft, 7, and

last in the series-of said contacts, 26.

By moving the handle, 34, to the right as seen in F 'ig. 4, the contact-finger, 33, will in its initial position be located moreor less in advance of the series ofcontact-s, 26'; and inits ultnnate position it Wlll engage one of said contacts at more or lessdistance from.

the end of the series, thus causing a lesser degree of heat to be imparted to the bed at each operation'of the machine, than is the case when the switch-plate is in the position shown in Fig. 4.

I have shown the contact-finger, 33, actu-. ated by, and in synchronism with the templet-carrying arm, but this is only one of the many ways in which the heat can be intermittently imparted to the bed in accordance with my invention. a

Any other movable member of the machine may be employed for this purpose, or

other suitable means employed for operating the contact-finger, 33, 111 synchronism wlth the operation of the maclnne upon successive blanks. i p r I do not wish to be limited to the particular mechanism shown for carrying out my invention as the same can be changed in many respects without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a gas-burner, 40, mounted beneath the bed, 2, supplied by a. pipe, 41, leading from asupply of gas, or

' gas and air, not shown.

A valve, 42, serves as a means for regulating the constant and uniform supply 0t gas to the burner, 40, for a normal flame.

Aby-pass, 43, extends around the valve,

42, and is controlled by a valve, 44, which valve, 44, is automatically operated by means less of the coil as may be desired.

of an arm or handle, 45, having a. pin-andslot engagement with a bracket, 46, .fixed;

upon the piston-rod, 14.

As the'piston-rod descends after each. foldingoperation the valve, 44, is automatically closed. I

As the, piston-rod rises in synchronisin' with the downward movement of the templet, the, valve, 44, isopened permitting an additional supply of gas to pass around the "valve, 42, to theburner, 40, to cause a. greater flame, whereby additional heat-units are intermittently imparted to the bed in substantially the ratio in which heat-units are taken from the bed in the operation of the machine upon successive articles.

)Vhile I have shown my invention in its application to the heated bed of a folding- 5 machine, it will be understood that it is also applicable to any, other part of the foldingmachine which requires to be heated as well as to the parts of othermachlnesused under similarconditions for the treatment by heated members of a series of articles.

If it be desired to quickly heat the bed, 2,preparatory to starting the operation of: the machine, the switch-plate, :22, i can by means of the handle, 34, be moved to the right as shown in 4, to bring the contact-finger, 33, into engagementwith such of the contacts, 26, as will producequickly the desired degree of heat After the bed has been thus preliminarily heated, the switch-plate,'22, can be moved back to'its normalposition. i o

For the purpose last stated the switch comprising the switch-plate, 22, contacts, 26, and contact-finger, 33, may be located in any convenient position.

For certain purposes of the invention, it is. characteristic of my invention that in the operation of the machine the intermittent movement of the die and of the arm, 32, intermittently opens and closes a shunt circuit with respect to the main circuit whereby heat units are transmitted continuously (but not necessarily uniformly) to the whole coil, which'shunt circuit shunts more or If this shunt circuit be made to shunt limited portions only of thecoil, the remainder of the coil will intermittently receive an additional supply of heat units as above described. It the shunt circuit shunts the whole coil, then the whole coil will intermittently receive such additional supply of heat units. In the construction shown in Fig. 3, the bypass, 43, serves as a shunt for the gas supply,whereby an additional supply of heat units is intermittently transmitted to the gas-heater.

What I'claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a machine of the class described and in combination, a heater; means for transmitting to said heater a continuous supply of heat units; shunt means with respect to said means for supplying heat units, for supplying additional heat units to more or less of said heater; and automatic means for intermittently controlling the supply through said shunt means in the operation oi the machine.

2. In a machine of the class described and in combination, a member movable in the operation. of the machine; a heater; means for transmitting to said heater a continuous supply of heat units; shunt means with respect to said means for supplying said heat units, for supplyingadditional heat units to more or less of said heater; and automatic means for intermittently controlling the supply through said shunt means in synchronism with movements of said movable member.

3. In a machine of the class described and in combination, an electric heater having a resistance; means for transmitting to said resistance a continuous supply of electric current in the operation of the machine; a switch-controlled shunt-circuit with respect to more or less of said resistance; and automatic means whereby said shunt-controlling switch is intermittently operated.

i. In a machine oil the class described and in combination, a member movable in the operation of the machine; an electric heater having a resistance; means for transmitting to said resistance a continuous supply 01 electric current in the operation of the machine; a switchcontrolled shunt circuit with respect to more or less oi! said resistance; and automatic means whereby said shunt controlled switch is intermittently operated in synchronisin with movements of said movable member ot the machine.

5. In. a machine of the class described having a member movable in the operation of the machine, the combination with an electric heater having a resistance; means for transmitting to said resistance a constant supply of electric current during the operation of the machine; switclrcontrolled means for transmitting to a part only of said resistance a supply of electric current independently oil said constant supply; and automatic means whereby said switch is intermittently operated by said movable member of the machine.

(3. In a machine of the class described having a member movable in the operation of the machine, the combination with an electric heater; of means for transmitting: a constant supply of electric current to said heater in the operation of the machine; switch-controlled means for transmitting to part only of. said heater a supply of electric current independently of said constant supply; and automatic means whereby said switch is intermittently operated by said movable member of the machine.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of April, 1917.

ROY S. LATIMER. 

